The Unhealthiest Menu Items At Applebee's Gallery
The Unhealthiest Menu Items at Applebee’s
Applebee's is a go-to destination for family dinners, celebrations, and nights out with friends. The chain is nationwide and gigantic — no matter where you go in the country, there's probably a nearby Applebee's. But you can also count on Applebee's to load up your portion size and pile more red meat and cheese on your plate than most diets are prepared to handle.
Of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with treating yourself to an indulgent menu order when you're going out to a restaurant. Additionally, no Applebee's employee is going to stand by your table and force-feed you until you've devoured the entire portion they served.
To people with an eye for a bargain, large portion sizes are actually a perk of chain restaurants like Applebee's — not something to be feared. Dinner for two nights, for the price of one!
Regardless, it does pay to be aware of the nutritional value of your order, especially if you have health problems. The sodium, saturated fat, and other excesses in these menu items could be costly. For the most extreme of everything on their menu, read on for the 15 unhealthiest menu items at Applebee's.
We've also collected a list of The Healthiest Menu Items at Applebee's.
Four Cheese Mac + Cheese With Honey Pepper Chicken Tenders
No one orders the mac and cheese expecting it to be diet-friendly. But if you're splurging on a cheesy bowl of mac, Applebee's just might be the most dangerous place to do it. Their Four Cheese Mac + Cheese comes topped with chicken tenders and bacon, racking up an astounding calorie count of 1,420 and (somehow) 51 grams of sugar. That's more sugar than some Frappuccinos!
Classic Chicken Parmesan
This classic Italian dish does not go easy on the cheese. Crispy chicken, fettucine pasta, and lots of cheesy marinara rack up 1,430 calories and 59 grams of fat. You might be better off going to one of these renowned Italian restaurants to satisfy your pasta craving — or making your own healthy pasta dish at home.
Oriental Chicken Salad
That's right. This salad is even less healthy than those carb-loaded pasta dishes. The Oriental Chicken Salad, served with crispy chicken, rice noodles, almonds, and likely too much vinaigrette, is 1,440 calories with 97 grams of fat.
Chicken Tenders Platter
Chicken tenders might sound like an order off the kids menu, but if you fed this entire meal to a child, they might explode. The Chicken Tenders Platter is a sizable portion of both French fries and chicken tenders — 1,460 calories of greasy, fried food. It's got 80 grams of fat and 3,500 milligrams of sodium. This is a platter you're going to want to share!
Clubhouse Grille
It's served on potato bread, which can often have more protein and fiber than wheat bread — but that does not make this sandwich healthy. The individual ingredients on their own aren't bad — they're relatively nutritious, actually. You've got some bread, avocado, turkey, vegetables... But add all the mayo and ham, cheese, bacon, and heaps of toppings and you've got a classic case of portion overload. The full sandwich will earn you 1,510 calories if you also eat all the fries. And let's be real — who's resisting those?
Chicken Fajita Rollup
It's a wrap — so it seems like it'd be a healthy option. But this wrap is really more like an overstuffed burrito. The wrap is lined with oozes of cheddar cheese, and a dipping sauce laden with saturated fat doesn't ease this meal's load. The wrap totals to 1,520 calories if you include the fries.
Blue Ribbon Brownie
Thinking of ordering dessert? Depending on how full you are, you may want to think again. The Blue Ribbon Brownie is a large chunk of brownie with two scoops of ice cream, all drizzled with hot fudge. Sounds delicious, but this dessert has 1,520 calories — around what some doctors recommend people for an entire day of food. It also has 147 grams of sugar, which is comparable to approximately 14 Krispy Kreme glazed donuts.
Brunch Burger
Ah, the brunch burger — maybe the only dish that manages to fit three meals in one. The incredible combo of bacon and eggs for brunch paired with a huge cheeseburger and fries for dinner. And you really could eat this burger over the course of three meals. It's got 1,590 calories total, including the fries.
BBQ Brisket Tacos
This order will get you three beef brisket-stuffed tacos, topped with a spicy barbecue sauce, cheddar cheese, crispy fried onions, ranch dressing, and pico de gallo. The crazy-high calorie count of 1,590 probably comes from the multiple sauces this already-juicy meat is doused with — if you're trying to cut back, you could always order the sauce on the side. This calorie count also includes the French fries served on the side.
Triple Bacon Burger
Bacon isn't the only high-fat ingredient piled on this burger. It's also got cheddar cheese and a barbecue bacon ranch sauce. That sauce undoubtedly sounds delicious, but if there's one thing we know about ranch it's that it isn't exactly light. This order has 1,610 calories total and 101 grams of fat if you include the fries.
Whisky Bacon Burger
Brace yourselves for an overwhelming excess of burger toppings: caramelized onions and bacon cooked into the patty, pepper jack cheese, crispy onions, more bacon, and a Fireball whisky-infused steak sauce. How many calories will that pile of grease and sugar get you? A total of 1,650, if you include the side of fries. That's along with 99 grams of fat, nearly 3,000 milligrams of sodium, and 11 grams of added sugar.
Quesadilla Burger
Their menu reads, "Part burger, part quesadilla, all taste." Yeah, and all grease, apparently. The Quesadilla Burger is an overflowing combination of a cheese quesadilla and a bacon cheeseburger. Yes, there are multiple layers of cheese. The entire dish, served with a side of French fries, is 1,730 calories, 112 grams of fat, and 4,220 milligrams of sodium. Sure, a little salt is good for you — but this dish is way over the top.
Salsa Verde Beef Nachos
This plate is piled high with fatty ingredients like cheese, beef, and sour cream. Be still my heart — literally, because your heart might stop after eating too many plates of these. The nachos are listed as an appetizer, but you won't be able to stomach a meal after gorging on them. A plate of Salsa Verde Beef Nachos has 1,770 calories, 117 grams of fat, and 6,290 milligrams of sodium.
Fish & Chips
The exact nutritional information for Applebee's Fish & Chips varies per location. But according to their nutritional information made public online, the most caloric iteration of this classic British-inspired dish contains 2,000 calories, 140 grams of fat, and 4,520 milligrams of sodium.
The Classic Combo
Get ready to gasp — this menu item is the heaviest of them all. The Classic Combo is listed as an appetizer, but it's really more like four appetizers. With a single order, you get Applebee's boneless wings, spinach and artichoke dip, chicken quesadilla, and mozzarella sticks. If you manage to eat it all, you're scarfing down 2,280 calories, 131 grams of fat, and 7,490 milligrams of sodium. If this slideshow has managed to turn you off from going to Applebee's for good, brush up on the healthiest and unhealthiest menu items at these other chain restaurants.
We've also collected a list of The Healthiest Menu Items at Applebee's.
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